The Bump in the Partnership
by Col3725
Summary: Booth and Brennan decide now is the perfect time to expand their family. Will it go as planned?
1. Chapter 1

**_So here's my attempt at a hiatus fic..._**

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><p>Brennan sat on the couch, sipping at her wine, her body twisted to watch Booth putter around in the kitchen; he insisted on making her a waffle sundae, something she was still unsure of even after he explained it to her. She tried to refuse, but in response, he had just shook his head and said, "It's breakfast <em>and <em>dessert, Bones. What could possibly be better than that?"

She took another big gulp of her drink and stood up, walking over to one of the large windows overlooking the front yard. It was starting to snow, a thin layer coating the grass already. _Christine will be exciting when she wakes up in the morning if the warmer temperatures slated for tomorrow, according to the weather forecast, are false and it stays this cold. _Lost in thought, she didn't notice Booth slide up behind her and place his hands on her hips, his body pressed against her back.

"Ooh, snow." His eyes lit up. "I hope it sticks." He paused. "C'mon, Bones. The waffles are piping hot. I even put some fresh raspberries and blueberries on it for ya. Now it's healthy."

"Adding fruit to something doesn't make it healthy, Booth. This dessert is still high in sugar, fat, and carbohydrates." She followed him over to the couch, picked up her fork, and just stared at the concoction he had set on the coffee table. She could barely make out the Belgian waffle on the bottom, as it was hidden below a mountain of whipped topping and melting ice cream. He had drizzled some chocolate syrup on it, as well, and added some rainbow sprinkles. There was a cherry on top and as he had mentioned, there were berries scattered around the edge of the plate. To her, it looked more like a mess than any dessert she'd ever seen.

"Well, are you going to take a bite? It's good, I promise. I mean, have I ever made something you didn't like?" He gave her a huge smile, his eyebrow raised.

She shrugged, poked at it with her fork, and sighed. She cut a small sliver of the waffle and made sure she had a good helping of the other toppings before tasting it. Surprisingly, it was delicious. She kept eating it until she couldn't stomach any more and pushed the plate away.

He finished the rest, put the dirty plate in the dishwasher, and returned to the living room. He plopped down beside her and draped his arm over her shoulder. He clinked the beer bottle against her now nearly empty wine glass and took a sip. He smirked at her. "Good, huh?"

"I must admit that it was better than I imagined it to be when you first mentioned it." She paused and groaned, resting her hand on her abdomen. "I ate too much."

His eyes were drawn to her stomach and he swallowed. He blinked, shaking his head to rid himself of the memories that suddenly popped up.

She leaned into his side and drank the remainder of her wine. "I believe I have what Angela refers to as a food baby."

He coughed, choking on his beer. "What? Baby?"

She tilted her head and stared at him. "Huh?"

"Uh, never mind. How about some music?" He got off the couch and grabbed the remote off the mantel. He pointed it at the stereo and skipped ahead a few tracks before he got to one that he liked and thought fit the mood of the evening. He lowered the volume a tad and walked over to her. He dropped the remote into his pocket and held out his hand. "Want to dance?"

She smiled at him and reached up, taking his hand without hesitation. She leaned down to put her glass on the coffee table and followed him to the spot in front of the bar where they'd have enough room to move around.

He snaked his arms around her back and closed his eyes, slowly swaying back and forth.

She snuggled into his neck and exhaled. She was relaxed; whether that was a side effect of the two glasses of wine she consumed, the soft music, or Booth's presence, it didn't matter. She felt him stiffen when "Baby, it's Cold Outside" came blasting out of the speakers. She leaned back and looked at him. "What's wrong?"

He shook his head. "Nothing," he said and quickly changed the song.

Not satisfied with his answer, she stepped out of his arms completely and snatched the remote from his hand. She clicked off the stereo and stared at him. "You seem distracted or uncomfortable and I don't understand why."

"I—." Deciding to pull off the band aid, he blurted out, "Let's have a baby."

She blinked, her eyebrows furrowing. "What?"

He took her hand and dragged her over to the couch. He sat down and pulled her down next to him. Keeping her hand in his, he rubbed his thumb over it and cleared his throat. "Let's have a baby," he repeated, his voice softer.

"You're serious?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I mean, Christine's almost five and we're not getting any younger. If we're gonna have another baby, we should do it sooner rather than later." He decided to appeal to her logical side first. "Don't you want another baby?"

She swallowed. "We've never discussed this before."

"Well, let's discuss it _now_." He paused, squeezing her hand. "I think it's the right time. Holding Sweets' son reminded me what it's like to hold such an innocent little life in your arms for the first time. And I saw the way you looked at him; you were in awe. Parker's and Christine's births were so different, but they were both so magical. Being a father, or a mother," he added, "there's nothing either of us will ever do that is as important as that." He sighed and when she didn't say anything right away, he said, "Say something. Please."

"I—."

"Before you shoot it down, just think it over, Bones. Sleep on it, talk to Angela, do whatever you have to do, but don't say no before you've had a chance to really think about what I'm asking here." He paused. "I know it seems like this came out of nowhere, but I've been thinking about this since Daisy gave birth."

She stared at him for the longest time before she let out a breath and allowed a small smile to creep onto her face. "Okay."

"Please, just think about this before you—wait, okay?"

She laughed, giggled, actually. "Yes. Let's have another baby."

His smile returned and his eyes got brighter. "Really?"

She nodded. "I want to have another baby," she said with more confidence.

"Yes!" He jumped up and did a little dance. If he wasn't so happy, he'd be embarrassed by his actions. "We're having another baby?"

"Well, I am not pregnant yet, Booth."

"But we're gonna try?"

She smirked. "Yes, and I've heard it's very fun—trying for a baby, I mean." She paused. "Would you like to start now?"

"Would I?" He laughed. "What kind of question is that, Bones? Of course I want to."

"Because it just so happens it's a very opportune time. I'm currently discussing alternative birth control methods with my gynecologist and therefore am not on any form of birth control. I was going to suggest you wear a condom when we make love until I come to a decision, but since we've decided to try and conceive, that won't be necessary." She paused. "I am also ovulating."

He groaned. "Stop talking."

"Booth, knowing my ovulation schedule is important if we're going to be trying for a child."

"Keep that stuff tucked away in that beautiful brain of yours." He tapped the middle of her forehead. "Having a baby is supposed to fun. Screw schedules and what not. If we make love x amount of times in a month, one of those times is bound to result in a baby. It doesn't matter when you're _ovulating,"_ he shuttered and emended his statement when she gave him a look that suggested he was an idiot for even thinking that, "Okay it does matter, but I don't need to know about it. We'll just continue what we're doing. I mean, it worked last time didn't it?"

She smiled. "Our judgment was impaired then."

"Just go with the flow, Bones."

She nodded. "Are we still going to have sex tonight? Because all this talk about making love has me very aroused and we shouldn't waste—."

He captured her lips with his, already working to unbutton her jeans. "Shut up," he muttered against her mouth, pulling her pants, attempting to get them off her hips.

She lifted herself off the couch and shimmied a little until he had gotten her jeans passed her knees. She relaxed again, tugging him closer. She dropped her hand from the nape of his neck and slid it down his back to the hem of his shirt. She moved her other hand from his thigh and pulled his shirt up over his head.

He separated from her to yank off his shirt and throw it to the side. He didn't take much time reestablishing contact; his lips were back on hers within a minute. He ran his hand over her upper body, groaning when she scooted forward and sat in his lap, her legs wrapped around his waist. "Bones," he mumbled, slipping his hand under her blouse, sighing as his fingertips touched her warm, bare skin. He paused for a brief second, his hand flat on her lower abdomen, before she snapped him back to reality by sucking hard on his bottom lip. It wasn't long before her shirt was gone too.

She tugged on his belt, unbuckling it. "Off," she ordered, pressing her chest against his as she deepened their kisses.

He nodded. "You gotta," he breathed out, "I need to—."

She sighed, scooting back and ripping off her own pants. She watched him the entire time, from when he stood up, to the moment his jeans fell to his ankles, to when he jumped back onto the couch, pinning her beneath his body.

He peppered her neck, chest, arms, and abdomen with feather-light kisses before he pressed his lips against hers once again. "We should move this party to the bedroom," he said, between kisses.

"Don't want to," she protested.

He nodded, the thought of moving didn't appeal to him much either. He reached behind her and popped the clasp of her bra. He pulled the under garment off and flung it, it landing on one of the lampshades. Not paying it any mind, he met her eyes and smiled.

"We're doing this? Trying for a baby?"

He silenced her with a kiss. "Shhh. We're not doing anything except making love," he whispered.

She moaned, the feeling of his thumb caressing her right breast very pleasing to her. After several minutes of mind-numbing touches and swipes of his tongue, she could barely think straight, but she was coherent enough to know they were far too covered up to do this properly. She lifted her shoulders off the couch and pushed herself out from under him. She hooked her thumbs in the waistband of his boxer briefs and met his eyes. She reached up, moving the pendant of his Saint Christopher medal to the back, and tipped her chin.

He nodded, getting off of her and removing the last of his clothing other than his striped sock that donned his feet. He sat on the edge and slowly slid her underwear down her legs, letting his fingers brush against her skin as he went.

She squirmed under his intense gaze and at the light caresses of her inner legs. She bit down on her bottom lip and curled her toes as one of his hands moved back upwards after discarding the cumbersome garment while the other slid through her hair.

Minutes and a few strangled moans (from both of them) later, he hovered above her, gazing down into her glazed over blue-grey eyes; it was so easy to get lost in them.

She cleared her throat, rubbing her hand over his cheek and lightly stubble-clad jaw. "Booth?"

He blinked and recaptured her lips with his. He lowered himself and closed his eyes, his words garbled against her mouth.

She shifted, hooking her legs around his waist once again and pulling him down farther. She bucked her hips and tilted her head, one hand on the back of his neck, the other dragging through his hair, tugging on it. "Now," she ordered in a breathy moan.

He nodded, obeying without protest. Their earlier conversation and their mutual decision to expand their family was forgotten. All that mattered in that moment was the two of them and their desire for one another.

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><p><strong><em>Should I keep going? <em>**


	2. Chapter 2

**_I was not expecting that response, but thank you! I guess you guys want me to continue? Ha._**

**_Well, here is the second chapter. Hope you like it :)_**

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><p>It was early in the morning on a Saturday and Booth and Brennan were lazing around in bed, a rare occasion now that they were the proud parents of a four year-old. He rolled onto his side and smiled at her. He reached up and swept some of her hair out of her eyes. He leaned over and brushed his lips across her bare shoulder, causing her to shiver slightly. He slid his hand down, his touches light as he caressed her, paying close attention to her breasts. Her moans energized him and after a while, he got a little daring, moving his hand passed her hips.<p>

She parted her legs and arched her back in anticipation of his next move.

He massaged her left thigh and then her right, relaxing her muscles. As he slipped his hand between her legs, he couldn't help but smile, an edge of cockiness to it. He wanted desperately to take his time, stroke every part of her until she was practically jelly, but he didn't have that luxury; Christine would most likely be awake within thirty minutes and soon after that she would come barging into their room to wake them up once she discovered they weren't in the living room or the kitchen. If they wanted to finish this, they would have to work quickly. Forgoing their usual routine, he shifted until he was hovering above her. He lowered down on top of her, supporting most of his weight with his arms. He experimented, rubbing his body against hers, and dipped his head, capturing her lips with his. He dragged out the kiss, continuing to move back and forth; he was torturing her and he knew it.

She gripped the back of his neck, her nails digging into his skin. She forced his head back and looked directly into his eyes. Her lips brushed his as she spoke, slowly and articulately, "Booth, stop teasing me or neither of us will be satisfied," she exhaled, lowering her voice, "sexually speaking." She moved his pendant out of the way and slid her fingers up and down his back, adding a bit of pressure.

He moaned as he sank down into her and began to rock. He gradually picked up speed, at her insistence, and let out a small shriek when her nails dug a little too deeply into his skin. He gave her a quick peck before brushing his lips against her neck, just below her jaw. He sucked her skin lightly in spots and hard in others, careful not to leave any marks in areas that wouldn't be covered by a shirt or jacket collar.

She arched into him, cupping the back of his head with one hand and hooking the other arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer to her. She gasped, a moan escaping her lips.

The vibrations sent strange yet extremely pleasuring sensations throughout his body, his lips tingling. He groaned and ground his pelvis into hers. He lifted his head and crashed his lips against hers once again.

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><p>Several minutes later, Booth lay on his back, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. He closed his eyes and rubbed his hand across his face. He swallowed and kicked off the sheet, which had been wrapped around his ankles. As he lay there, completely exposed, he smiled, his heart beginning to return to a normal rhythm. As soon as the cool air in their bedroom nearly dried all the sweat covering his body, he rolled onto his side and scooted closer to Brennan.<p>

Brennan was also lying on her back, her breathing a bit ragged and her forehead beaded with perspiration. Her eyes were opened as she focused on the ceiling. She had a rosy tint to her cheeks, as well, and she seemed to be glowing, her lips curled into a smile.

He ran his finger down her arm and moved his hand to her stomach, resting it there. "There could be a little baby in there," he whispered.

She tilted her head and looked at him. "It's far too early to tell." She paused. "But it is possible."

He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

She shook her head. "It hasn't been nearly long enough for there to be an embryo in my uterus, but it is possible that your sperm has already burrowed itself into my egg in my Fallopian tube. If that's the case," she paused, "the egg will begin moving through the tube towards my uterus within the next two or three days."

He groaned, covering his face with his hand. "Bones, that is far too much information."

She shrugged and turned onto her side. "You asked."

"When, uh, when can you take the test?"

"In twelve days, but I'll likely wait another week after that. It's likely I won't be experiencing any symptoms yet, other than a missed period. Not getting my period as scheduled will be a good indication of a possible pregnancy since I've always been very regular, meaning the time between my cycles has been exactly 28 days ever since I was thirteen." She paused. "I apologize if that was too graphic for you," she teased.

He rolled his eyes, but a second later, his expression softened and he began to delicately brush his hand across her belly. "There could be a little baby in there," he repeated, his voice softer this time.

Before she had a chance to comment, the door to the bedroom burst open and Christine came scampering in.

He quickly jumped away and scrambled to cover them up with the sheet, now crumpled at the foot of the bed. The last thing he wanted was to scar his little girl for life.

"Mommy? Daddy? Are you awake?" Christine walked over to the bed and climbed onto the mattress.

Booth yawned. "Yeah, Princess." He reached over the side of the bed and grabbed his sweatpants and boxers. He discreetly redressed under the covers while Brennan kept Christine occupied by asking her how she slept and if she was hungry. "How about pancakes in the shape of Mickey Mouse?"

Christine shook her head. "I don't want pancakes."

He stood up and put on his robe. He lifted Christine up into the air and smiled up at her as he slowly lowered her to his hip, the little girl kicking and giggling the whole way.

Christine hooked her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.

He kissed her cheek and supported her with one arm under her bottom. "Well, what do you want for breakfast, then? It's up to you."

"Blueberry waffles."

"You got it." He looked over his shoulder at Brennan, who was watching them with a smile on her face. "Waffles good for you?"

Brennan nodded, wrapping the sheet tighter around her body. "I'll be right there."

He set Christine on the floor and kneeled on the bed, leaning over to meet Brennan halfway for a kiss. "Morning," he winked and grabbed Christine's hand. "Let's go. You think you can set the table?"

Christine puffed out her chest, her hands on her chest. "Course, Daddy. I'm a big girl." She let go of his hand and ran out of the room.

He laughed and followed her.

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><p>Brennan stayed in bed for another two minutes before she finally pulled on the pajamas she had worn to bed but had discarded for an impromptu love making session at 2:30 and made her way out to the kitchen. She knew it was far too early, but she found herself almost giddy at the chance that she could be in the very early stages of conception. She allowed herself to dream for a second before her rational side kicked in. Booth had put the thought in her head, but she had to let it go, at least for now; getting her hopes up too soon would certainly cause her great disappointment in the weeks to come. She was older and her body had been through a great deal between then and now, so getting pregnant wouldn't likely be as easy as it was the previous time.<p>

She was pulled back into reality by the sound of Christine's laughter and she smiled. She let out a breath and continued towards the kitchen. She had plenty of time to worry about this later; right now, she was hungry and her husband and daughter were waiting for her to join them for breakfast.


	3. Chapter 3

About a week later, Brennan was sitting at her desk, cleaning out her inbox and checking for any urgent emails. She was not having a very good morning. She woke up later than she would have preferred, causing her to rush through her morning routine. Because she was in a bit of a harried state, she put on two different shoes and just barely missed twisting her ankle on the way out the door. Since Booth left for work early, she was in charge of breakfast. She ended up burning the pancakes because she was more focused on the clock. Since she was late getting up, she was also late getting Christine ready for school. On top of all of that, she was experiencing some light cramping, a warning sign her menstrual cycle was coming.

She rubbed her temples and sighed, her vision blurring a little as she stared at her computer screen. She looked up when she heard a faint knock on her door and motioned for Booth to come in.

Booth opened the door and stepped into her office. He took one look at her and frowned. "What's wrong?"

She pushed away from her desk and leaned back in her chair. "Nothing. It's just been a rough morning." She paused. "A new case?" she asked, perking up a little at the prospect.

He shook his head. "No." He paused. "I got you something." He set the plastic bag in front of her and sank down onto the corner of her desk.

She raised an eyebrow as she opened the bag and peered inside. She pulled out the box and examined it. "Booth, it's still too early for this."

He nodded. "I know, I know, but is doesn't hurt to be prepared, right?"

She suddenly burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?"

She gasped for air and wiped a few tears that leaked out. Swallowing, she explained, "I was just," she paused, a chuckle bubbling up, "imagining you standing there," she shook her head, pursing her lips to keep from laughing, "buying this. I mean, you—." That was as far as she got; she lost the battle and closed her eyes to keep the tears in.

"So what would happen if you, um, take this now? Is it possible that it'd work?" He was trying not to sound too eager, but he knew before he even finished his question, that he failed miserably.

That seemed to sober her up. She read the box again and realized that he had gotten one of those early pregnancy tests, the ones that claimed to be able to detect pregnancy days before your missed period. She set the package back on top of the bag and shook her head. "It'll most likely show a negative result even if I am pregnant." She paused. "Booth," she started, her voice soft.

He blinked, taken aback by her serious tone. "What?"

"You shouldn't get your hopes up."

"Why not?"

"You just shouldn't."

"Why not?" he asked again, not satisfied by her answer.

"I don't want you to be upset."

He shrugged. "If it doesn't happen this time, we'll just try again. No big deal."

She nodded.

"Don't worry about me, Bones. I'm a big boy." He leaned over and pressed his lips against hers. "Lunch?"

"I'm not very hungry."

He stood up and grabbed her coat off the rack behind her desk. "You gotta eat," he said, holding it open for her.

"I have a granola bar in my desk," she countered.

"Bones."

"I'm not hungry, okay?" she shouted, turning her chair so her back was to him.

"Whoa."

She sighed. "Sorry."

"Everything okay, Bones?"

"It's your fault."

He stepped back. "My fault? What the Hell did I do?"

"You put this idea in my head. Now it's all I can think about!"

"What idea?" He swallowed and figured out what she was talking about all on his own. "I thought you wanted to have another baby. I wasn't trying to force you into this, Bones. If you don't want another kid right now, we can wait."

She shook her head. "No, I was telling the truth when I said I wanted another child, Booth."

"Then what are you talking about?"

"I mean, the idea that I could be pregnant. You rub my abdomen every morning, I catch you staring at me more often than you normally do, and you went out and bought me an early pregnancy test even though the process of conception makes you squeamish and uncomfortable. You seem so excited for something that has yet to be confirmed and I find myself unable to not join in your excitement. I told you not to get your hopes up, but the truth is, I'm finding it difficult not to do that myself."

He set her jacket down and pulled her out of her chair. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry."

She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder, burying her face in his neck and snaking her arms around him.

He ran his hand up and down her back soothingly and closed his eyes. "Like I said, if it doesn't happen this time, we'll just try again."

She stepped back and looked at him. "I'd like to go to lunch now."

He smiled, grabbed her jacket, and helped her into it. He steered her towards the door and took her hand when they passed through her office door. "Good, I'm starving. I've been craving a burger all day."

"Perhaps _you_ should take that pregnancy test," she joked.

"Ha ha, funny, real funny, Bones."

She laughed and leaned into him. "You haven't told anyone we're trying, have you?"

He shook his head. "Not a soul. It's nobody's business."

She smiled. "I agree." She paused. "Are we taking your car or mine?"

"Let's walk."

She buttoned her coat in anticipation for the cold winter air and nodded. She let go of his hand and reached into her pockets. She pulled on her gloves and hooked her arm around his, as they continued down the sidewalk. "The weather forecast is calling for snow late this afternoon."

He nodded and looked around at the pitiful amount of snow that was covering the ground. "Hope we get more than this. You can't make a snowman or snow angels out of dust."

"It is pretty, though," she commented, looking at the shimmering icicles hanging from the tree branches and the awnings of some of the businesses in their vicinity.

When they reached the diner, he stepped out in front and opened the door before she could, holding it open for her.

She gave him a look, but her scowl soon turned into a smile and she thanked him on her way inside.

He shook his head and followed her, starting to unbutton his coat.

Soon they were seated at their table by the window, menus in hand even though they both already knew what they wanted to order.

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><p><em><strong>Thanks again for the reviewsfollows/favorites**_

_**Hope you liked this chapter :) **_

_**Next one coming soon and I'll try and make it a little longer**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**I know I said I'd update soon, so sorry for the wait. I also said I'd try and make the next chapter longer, but it ended up being shorter... **_

**_This chapter went into a totally different direction than I had in mind, but I hope you enjoy it regardless :) _**

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><p>Brennan was currently in her office, compiling her notes from an earlier examination of a set of remains from limbo, the original report and the most recent X-rays up on her computer. As she was coming to the end of the third page, her stomach let out a small rumble, reminding her that it was well passed lunchtime. She opened the top drawer of her desk where she usually kept granola bars, individual bags of mini pretzels, and sometimes packages of dried fruits to munch on throughout the day if she was too busy for a sit-down meal. She paused, spotting the box she stashed in there a few days ago. She picked it up and turned it over in her hands, a small smile gracing her lips. She glanced at the calendar and swallowed. Even though she was suspicious of the 99 percent accuracy claim, she couldn't help the urge she felt to rip the box open and take the test right at that particular moment.<p>

"Sweetie, do you think this dress makes me look fat?" Angela asked, coming into the office, her head down as she ran her hands over the deep plum silky fabric.

Brennan jumped and fumbled with the box, throwing it in her desk and slamming the drawer shut.

Angela looked up at the sound and raised an eyebrow, noting Brennan's flush cheeks and heavy breathing and having caught a glimpse of the package the anthropologist had hastily tossed in her top drawer. "What was that?"

Brennan shook her head. "Nothing." She paused. "Did you need something?" she asked, hoping to distract the artist.

"Yes!" Angela twirled around. "So it's date night. What do you think?"

Brennan eyed her best friend up and down, studying the dress and the way it fit. "I don't know why you're asking me. Dr. Saroyan would be a better person to consult on such a matter as fashion."

"Yeah, well, I asked you, so consult."

"It's," Brennan swallowed, trying to get her heart to calm down, "it's pretty."

Angela's eyes widened. "Pretty? Pretty? _Pretty?_

Brennan shrugged. "You asked for my opinion, but when I give you a compliment, you look at me like I couldn't have said anything more offensive." She paused. "Oh, is this one of those times where Curly means bald and Shorty means tall? In that case, the dress is ugly and does absolutely nothing for your figure."

Angela gasped. "Sweetie!"

Brennan bit her lip. "From your reaction, I assume this is notone of those times."

"No!"

"I apologize." Brennan paused. "Then I'm still confused."

"I wasn't going for _pretty_. Hot, sex kitten, vixen, beautiful, of course, but not pretty." Angela shook her head. "Try again and this time, really think about it."

Brennan tipped her chin up a little. "I'm sure Hodgins would prefer to see you naked, so spending so much energy and time into your appearance makes no sense to me."

Angela smirked. "I know and I prefer him in his birthday suit, as well, but we both would rather end our night in bed and not in a jail cell, so Sweetie, just tell me what you think."

"It's not even two o'clock. Why are you dressed for dinner so early?"

"Sweetie!"

Brennan nodded and quickly supplied her opinion "You look beautiful, Angela."

Angela exhaled. "Thank you, even if you're only saying that because I told you to."

Brennan shook her head. "I'm not. You really do look great."

Angela turned and headed for the couch. "Now that we got that out of the way, let's talk about what you just stashed in the top drawer of your desk."

Brennan swallowed, subconsciously glancing at the drawer in question. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb with me." Angela pulled on the hem of her dress and shifted uncomfortably on the couch. "Spill it, Bren." She held Brennan's gaze and narrowed her eyes.

Brennan shrugged. "I honestly have no idea what you're referring to, Angela. All I have in my top drawer are granola bars."

"I don't buy it."

"Not everything is your business. Some things are personal."

"So there is something?" Angela smirked. "What is it?"

Brennan rolled her eyes.

"Okay, fine, don't tell me, but I'll find out what you're hiding eventually. You can't keep secrets from me, Sweetie."

"There's nothing to tell." _Not yet, at least. _"Now if you'll excuse me, I have recently consumed twenty ounces of water and have to use the restroom." Brennan paused. "And you should change out of your dress."

Knowing when she was being dismissed, Angela stood up and walked over to the door. "I'm almost done with that first facial reconstruction you asked me to do earlier. I'll come find you when I put the finishing touches on the sketch."

Brennan nodded.

"I'm not asking you to tell me, but are you okay? I mean, health wise. This secret isn't anything bad, is it?"

Brennan shook her head, smiling at the concern her best friend was showing. "No. I believe it will be a good thing." Once Angela was no longer in view, she opened the top drawer and grabbed the box. She pulled the tab and tilted the box, the slim stick falling into her palm. It was irrational and she was opening herself up to huge disappointment, but she didn't care. Ever since Booth had brought her the surprise purchase, she couldn't think of much else. Slipping the test into her pocket, she left her office and made her way to the handicapped restroom. She hadn't lied to Angela; she just had another purpose in mind other than simply relieving herself.


	5. Chapter 5

Brennan stood at the sink, her back to the mirror. She glanced at her phone and let out a delirious-sounding laugh. What the Hell was she doing? Why was she putting herself through this when she already knew the test would be negative even if the box did claim it could detect elevated levels of hCG as soon as six days before a woman's missed period.

She pressed her back into the hard edge of the counter and closed her eyes. Why did she even agree to do this? Did she even want another child? She shook her head. Of course she did. She needed to relax and think rationally. It wasn't uncommon for women to not conceive the first time; it didn't mean anything was wrong or that it wouldn't happen eventually. She was still relatively young and she was a healthy individual. Booth was more than adequate, as well. She needed to stop stressing over this and letting Booth's premature elation over the possibility of a pregnancy get to her.

She let out a breath and tipped her head down to look at the black screen of her phone. Swallowing hard, she illuminated the screen to check the time. When she realized three minutes had passed, she turned around to face the mirror and closed her eyes once again. If she was going to look, she needed to do it now. She slid her eyes open, blinked, and brought the test up to eye level.

She pursed her lips, squinting at the tiny window. She didn't know how to discern the results. The second line was faint, almost too faint to see, but it was there nonetheless. What did that mean? Was it positive or negative? Certainly if it was positive, the second line would be darker, wouldn't it? On the other hand, if it was negative, there wouldn't be any line at all, right? Perhaps she waited too long. If she was pregnant, she'd be in the very early stages. Her hCG levels would be low and therefore, it was entirely possible that there wasn't enough of the hormone in her urine to produce anything darker than the faint pink line she had seen when she first looked at the test.

* * *

><p>Brennan continued to stand there, for how long, she had no idea. It wasn't until she heard the distinct sound of someone trying to open the locked restroom door that she snapped out of her daze. Her shoulders jerked and she rubbed her eyes. At some point, she had become teary without realizing it. She grabbed the test off the counter, wrapped it up in toilet paper until it wasn't recognizable, and tossed it in the trash. After washing her hands and splashing some water on her face, she exhaled and squared her shoulders. Reaching for the lock, she flicked it and opened the door. She stepped out, nearly colliding with the person who was trying to get into the bathroom.<p>

"Whoa, Bones." Booth placed his hands on her shoulders to steady her. He took one look at her and sighed. "What's wrong?"

She looked up at him. "Wha—what are you doing here? I thought, the meeting, you said you would be—."

He chuckled at her uncharacteristic speechlessness. "The meeting ended hours ago, Bones. It's five o'clock."

Her eyes widened. "Five o'clock?"

He nodded. "You okay?"

She nodded. "I'm fine." She paused. "I have to get back to work."

"You sure you're okay?"

"I said I was okay! Just drop it, Booth."

He nodded. "You wanna get an early dinner?"

"I'm not very hungry and I have some work to finish up here. I'll see you at home?"

He nodded, giving her hand a squeeze.

She smiled, his touch calming as it always was. "I—."

"There you are, Sweetie!" Angela ran towards the couple, out of breath. She was wearing her date dress with a pair of black stilettos. She wobbled a little, not used to having to run in heels, and came to a stop in front of them. "Where have you been?"

"I—." Brennan glanced at the restroom behind her and then back to Angela. "I told you had to use the bathroom."

"That was _three _hours ago, Bren."

"Oh, right." Brennan shrugged. "I lost track of time."

"Mmhmm." Angela winked at Booth, taking in his crooked tie and wrinkled suit jacket.

Booth shook his head, recognizing Angela's look. "I just got here, Angela. There was none of _that_ happening in _there." _He threw his thumb over his shoulder, pointing at the restroom door.

"Anyway, I just wanted to say goodbye and I'll see you on Monday, Sweetie. Hodgins has a surprise for me before we make our dinner reservations." Angela gave Brennan a hug and waved to Booth before disappearing back down the hallway.

Brennan watched her best friend leave before she turned her focus to Booth. "I—I need to tell you something." She motioned for him to follow her to a bench not too far away.

"Uh, do you mind?" He pointed at the bathroom door.

"You certainly didn't come here to find me, since you were unaware I was in the restroom. I'll wait." She sank down on the bench and slumped forward. At least, she'd have some time to think about what she was going to tell him.

He came out of the bathroom a minute or so later and sat down beside her. "What's up? Does what you have to tell me have anything to do with why you were in the bathroom for three hours?"

She nodded. "I was honest before." At his confused look, she elaborated, "When I told Angela that I lost track of time. However, I chose not to disclose why I did."

"But you are going to now? To me?" he prompted, resting his hand on her knee and lightly massaging her leg.

She nodded again. "Yes." She paused. "I—."

"You what?"

"I took the pregnancy test."

He blinked. "What? Without me? Bones, we talked about this."

She raised her hand, stopping him from continuing. "I know. I just couldn't take it anymore." She clenched her fist. "I thought if I put the box in my desk drawer, I'd just forget about it, but the opposite has occurred. I missed lunch today, but I was hungry, so I decided to have a snack to hold me over until dinner. I went to grab a granola bar, but that pink box was in the way. When I looked at the calendar," she took a deep breath, "I realized that if I were to take the test today, according to the claim on the box, it would be able to detect hCG in my urine, even the low levels I would be producing at this stage of pregnancy." She paused. "I knew it would be negative because regardless of what the box claims, it is still very early. It makes more sense to wait to take the home pregnancy test until at least a few days after I actually miss my period. Even knowing those things, I couldn't resist."

He nodded.

"I'm sorry." She sighed. "I couldn't focus on anything other than that stupid test. I thought if I took care of it, I'd be able to concentrate on my work again." She chanced a glance at him and was surprised he didn't look upset or angry.

"Well?" he finally asked, unable to keep it in any longer. "Are you pregnant?"

"The results are," she let out a breath, enjoying the way the pad of his thumb was lightly brushing across her knuckles, "inconclusive."

* * *

><p><strong><em>Please don't hate me ;) <em>**


	6. Chapter 6

_Inconclusive? What did that even mean? _Booth stared at her, unsure how he was supposed to take that answer. "Was it positive or negative?"

Brennan shifted on the bench. "I just told you the results were inconclusive."

He nodded. "Yeah, I got that, but I have no clue what that means. What was inconclusive about it? You're either pregnant or you're not, right?"

"The results are confusing," she clarified, hoping that would appease him.

It didn't. "What were the results, Bones?"

"There was a faint second line discernable in the display window after I waited the recommended three minutes."

He frowned. "Does that mean you're pregnant or not pregnant?" He was dying; he just wanted to know.

"According to the diagram on the box, two lines equal a positive pregnancy test, whereas one line is negative."

His eyes widened. "You're pregnant?" He felt the urge to jump up and down, but he controlled himself. He calmed down and studied her. She didn't look happy. She would be happy if she were pregnant, wouldn't she?

"I don't know."

His face fell slightly. "But didn't you just say two lines mean a positive result?"

"Yes, I did, but Booth, the second line was very faint. I had to squint to even see it."

"But it was there!" He argued, his lips curving upwards.

She nodded. "Yes." She couldn't disagree with him since she had made that point herself while in the bathroom earlier.

His smile widened and he blinked. "We're having a baby?"

"Booth, wait," she held up her hand to stop him from celebrating just yet, "it's not—I would feel more comfortable answering that question if I were to take another home pregnancy test in a few more days."

"A few days! Bones, you can't tell me you might be pregnant and expect me to be able to wait three more days to find out for sure." Was she trying to kill him? "I'll call Max and see if he can watch Christine for a little while longer. You can finish up whatever it is you have to finish up here while I run out and grab some dinner and another one of those test thingies. You can take it after we eat."

She sighed. "Booth—."

"Please?"

She nodded. "Fine."

He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek before he stood up and pulled her to her feet. He wrapped his arms around her and smiled. "I'll be right back."

They walked to her office, which she disappeared into while he continued towards the exit. She plopped down on her chair and leaned back, closing her eyes on a sigh. As she sat there, replaying her conversation with Booth and with the image of the pregnancy test display forever ingrained in her mind, she subconsciously moved her hand from the arm of the chair to her stomach, a small smile playing at her lips.

* * *

><p>Forty-five minutes later, Booth passed through the automatic doors leading into the lab and headed for Brennan's office. As he rounded the corner, he glanced sideways towards the platform. He could see her hunched over one of the lighted examination tables. It was evident that she was frustrated, either because she couldn't find what she was looking for or because of the lock of hair that she had to repeatedly swat out of her face. He whistled, successfully getting her attention. He held up the bag when she looked over at him. "I got food."<p>

Brennan flashed him a smile. "I'll be right there."

He nodded, heading into her office to get everything set up. He wasn't sure how long she'd be, but he figured he had a bit more time before she joined him. After the food and beverages were laid out, as well as the plates, napkins, and silverware, he left to grab something he left at the security desk and when he came back, she was still on the platform. "Bones?"

She looked up suddenly. "Just give me a minute, Booth."

He nodded and went back to her office.

Booth was in the middle of his third round of Tetris when Brennan finally walked through her office door. He paused the game and watched as she removed her lab coat, hung it up, and headed over to the couch.

Brennan sat down beside him and reached for her plate, which Booth had already filled with her salad. She popped off the cap of the tiny dressing cup and drizzled some over the lettuce and tomatoes. "Did you call my father?"

He nodded. "Yep."

"Did you—?"

"Yep." He shifted his foot and rustled the bag that he set on the floor. "Should we, um, do it now or after we eat?"

"After." She smiled. "You understand this test is likely to produce similar results as the first one, don't you?"

"That's what I'm hoping for, Bones."

She sighed. "What I mean is, it is likely to be unreliable."

He shrugged and dug into his burger. "Three hours?" he asked several minutes later.

She blinked. "Hmm?" She licked a drop of dressing off her top lip and stared at him, an eyebrow raised.

"Three hours is a long time to be in the bathroom, Bones," he teased.

She rolled her eyes. "I said I lost track of time."

"Uh-huh."

"And I was distracted. It was as if I was unaware of time passing," she elaborated before popping a crouton into her mouth. After she had finished three fourths of her salad, she pushed her plate away. "Did you get anything for dessert?" She peered into the bag to see what else he had bought. Her face lit up at the sight of the dark chocolate cheesecake she spotted at the bottom. She took it out and set it down in front of her. She would let her dinner digest a little before consuming the decadent dessert, however.

"You didn't even notice the flowers," he said casually, biting a French fry in half.

Stealing a fry from his plate, she looked around her office and sure enough, there was a vase of daisies on her desk. "I'm sorry. They're beautiful. Thank you." She paused. "Not as beautiful as this piece of cake, though," she said.

"I almost got you lemon meringue pie, but then the waitress brought out the cake and I changed my mind."

"You made the right decision." She stood up and started dumping the paper plates into the now empty bag. She cleared off the table, leaving just his apple pie and her cheesecake plus two forks and napkins. She pushed the coffee table away with her legs and scooted closer to him. She leaned into him and hooked her arm around his back.

He propped his feet up and put his arm around her waist. He craved these moments. As much as he enjoyed the kissing and all that it lead to, he loved the quiet times too, the cuddling and the simple embraces.

They stayed like that, just sitting on her couch, for a while. Sometimes they'd converse, but it was mostly silent.

* * *

><p>Booth glanced at his watch and realized if they were going to do this, they'd have to do it now. It was getting late and he knew Brennan would want to be home before Christine was in bed. "Bones?"<p>

Brennan lifted her head off his shoulder and looked at him. She was exhausted. If he hadn't spoken when he did, she was sure she would have fallen asleep soon. "I'll be right back."

He nodded, handing her the bag. "I'll wait here, I guess."

"Or you could come with me?"

He coughed. "What?"

"You could sit on the bench and I'll call you in when I'm ready. We can wait together."

He nodded. "Yeah, that, good." He was nervous. What if there wasn't a second line this time? What if there was? He shook his head, took a deep breath, and stood up. "Let's go." When they reached the handicapped restroom, they paused and he reached down, grabbing her hand. He squeezed and flashed her a smile before he let go and sat on the bench. Waiting for her to come out would be torture for him, but it paled in comparison to waiting for the results.

She swallowed. "This won't take long." She disappeared inside and shut the door behind her.

A few seconds passed and he couldn't sit still any longer. He stood up and started to pace, his mind racing. He jumped when the door to the bathroom opened two minutes later. He stopped and looked at her.

She held up the test and motioned for him to follow her into the bathroom. There were security cameras in the hallway and the security guards would be making their rounds soon, so they'd have more privacy in there.

They walked back into the restroom and stood side by side, their backs to the mirror. This moment was giving him a strong sense of déjà vu. Even though his situation with Brennan was completely different from his with Rebecca years ago, it was still just as stressful. As the seconds ticked by, he was getting antsy. After about a minute, he began to tap his foot on the tile and every so often he'd shift his weight from one leg to the other.

"Would you quit it?" Brennan finally erupted, stomping on his tapping foot to make it stop.

He crossed his arms over his chest and pressed his back into the lip of the counter. "How much longer?"

"90 seconds," she answered, glancing at her phone.

"How much longer now?"

"87 seconds."

"Now?"

She glared at him. "Booth!"

He laughed. "I'm kidding." He nudged her. "What about now?"

"I'm leaving." She walked towards the door and reached for the handle.

"I'll stop."

She looked at him skeptically, but then he smiled at her and she forgot why she was annoyed with him in the first place. She returned to her position at the counter and looked at her phone again. 65 seconds.

He tapped on her shoulder, smirking when she turned and glared at him again. He held up his arms. "I wasn't going to ask." He paused. "You nervous?"

"Yes," she admitted. Logically, she knew what she would see when the alarm went off and she looked at the test, but she was still anxious. She was hoping for a more definitive result this time, but she wasn't expecting one.

He was about to answer the question himself when her cell phone beeped. He blinked. _This is it. _"On the count of three?"

She nodded. She grabbed the stick off the counter and closed her eyes.

"One, two, three."

She opened her eyes and looked down at the display window at the same time he did. She turned away and looked at Booth, who was already looking at her.

"Does that mean what I think it means?" Booth asked, smiling at her.

Her eyes traveled back to the home pregnancy test she held in her hand and exhaled. Two lines. Two _distinct _lines. There was no question whether or not the test was positive this time. But could she believe it? After all, false positives were entirely possible; Angela could contest to that.

"Hello? Bones? Anybody there?" He tapped on the side of her and whistled. "Yoo-hoo."

She blinked and glanced up at him. "Hmm?" She nodded. "Right. You asked me a question." She swallowed. "It appears the test is positive."

"We're having a baby?" He smiled wider, dropping his shoulders as he let out a breath. His happiness deflated a little when he took in her blank expression. "What?" Understanding dawned on him suddenly. He took the test out of her hand and set it on the counter behind them before her wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. He dropped a kiss on the top of her head and squeezed her hip. "We'll wait to celebrate until you see your doctor."

She relaxed into him and closed her eyes. "It's just that a blood test is more accurate," she offered as an explanation, though it wasn't necessary. "I'll call first thing in the morning to make an appointment for next week."

He leaned down, his mouth hovering next to her ear, his breath brushing against it as he whispered, "I don't care how early it is. We're having another baby." There was no question in his voice; he was sure about this.

She shivered, resting her head on his shoulder. She couldn't help but smile. _I hope so. _There was never a time she wanted to believe in his gut as much as she did right now.

"Let's go home. I bet there's a little girl who wants her Mom to tuck her in."

She nodded. "And a little girl who wants her Daddy to read her a story." She sounded a little bitter about that, but she loved the bond Christine and Booth had.

"It's because I do all the funny voices."

She turned into him, so they were facing each other, and tipped her head back.

He leaned down and allowed her to close the final gap between them. The kiss lasted less than five seconds, but it was all that was needed at that moment. He pulled away and brushed his lips across her forehead before stepping back.

She opened her eyes and wrapped the pregnancy test up in paper towels. Tossing it in the trash, she walked to the door and pulled it open. "Are you coming?"

"Just give me a minute."

She nodded and left him there, heading to her office to pack up.

When the door clicked shut, he turned to the mirror, pressing his palms into the counter. He stared at his reflection, his lips slowly curving into a huge grin, his eyes slightly glossy. He exhaled, pushed away from the counter, and looked around out of habit to make sure no one was there to witness what he was about do. Satisfied, he closed his eyes and did a little happy dance.

The bathroom door opened and Brennan stuck her head in. She was about to ask what he wanted to do with the leftovers, but froze. She fought the urge to burst out laughing, instead backing up and shutting the door, letting him having his moment, free of any embarrassment he might suffer if he realized he had an audience. He looked ridiculous, but she could tell he was happy. She hoped the blood test would only confirm the results of the home pregnancy test because she knew if that was negative, he would be devastated. _He wouldn't be the only one_, she reminded herself.

* * *

><p>A couple of minutes later, Booth joined Brennan in her office, a smile still on his face. "Ready?" he asked, grabbing the bag with the dessert they hadn't eaten.<p>

She buttoned her coat and slung her bag over her shoulder. "Yes."

As they headed into the lab, he laced his fingers through hers. "I know you saw."

She raised an eyebrow. "Hmm?"

"Keep that between us, okay?"

She laughed. "I like your dance moves."

"I'm a good dancer, Bones."

"Oh, I know."

"That was not a good representation of my skills."

She smirked. "Oh, I know that as well."

He gave her a peck on the lips. "I love you."

"I love you too."

After another quick kiss, they made their way to the exit, both more than ready to go home and relieve Max of his babysitting duties.


	7. Chapter 7

Booth was sitting at his usual table at the diner, stirring his black coffee as he stared, distractedly, out the window. He shifted on the seat, a smile finding its way onto his otherwise expressionless face. He had baby on the brain; it was all he could think about for the last week. Images of a baby boy in a Phillies onesie battled images of a baby girl in pink Steelers footie pajamas for dominance in his head. He thought about how they would renovate the extra bedroom into a nursery, wondering if they'd argue as much as they did before Christine was born. That always lead to thoughts about Christine and whether she'd be a doting big sister or if she'd be jealous of the new baby. Those thoughts switched to thoughts of Parker. He was a great big brother, but how would he react to having another little brother or sister? Would the fifteen year-old even care? Would he be mad? Would he be excited?

The waitress returned to the table to refill his coffee, only to discover he had barely taken a sip. She asked him if he wanted anything else, but her words never registered. She shrugged and walked away, returning to the kitchen. She came back minutes later, setting a plate of fresh-from-the-fryer French fries down in front of him.

The bell above the door jingled, signaling a new patron, but Booth hadn't noticed. He didn't even seem to realize that someone was now seated across from him and was reaching for the plate of fries. "Oh, Bless, you got me fries. I knew I liked you for a reason, Booth." Aubrey signaled for the waitress to bring him a cheeseburger and a grilled cheese sandwich before he turned to his oblivious tablemate. "Dude, what's up with you?" Nothing. "Hey!" Not even a blink. Shrugging, he reached down, unhooked his gun, and set it noisily on the table.

Booth's head jerked towards Aubrey and he leaned forward after he took a quick look around. "What the Hell are you doing?" he whispered loudly. "Put that away."

Aubrey gave Booth a twisted smirk and holstered his gun. "Finally." He paused. "You and the wife get into it last night? She school your ass in Scrabble or something? I bet she'd be an awesome teammate," he said with a mouth full of fries.

Booth shook his head. "I've just got a lot of stuff on my mind, okay? Let's just focus on the case, hmm?" He pushed a folder towards the younger agent and tapped on it with his index finger.

Aubrey nodded, taking a bite of the cheeseburger the waitress had just set down in front of him.

Booth sipped at his coffee, his mouth twisting in disgust at the taste of the below-room-temperature brew. He was putting the cup down when his cell phone started ringing. Seeing 'Bones' pop up on the screen, he stood, gathered his things, and headed to the exit, not bothering to say goodbye to Aubrey. He answered the phone, holding it to his ear as he proceeded to shrug his jacket on. "Hey, Bones."

"_Hello, Booth. I have a doctor's appointment today at 2:15."_

He sank down onto the bench just outside the diner and glanced at his watch. "That's in twenty minutes."

"_Yes. I apologize for the late notice; there was a last minute cancellation. It is not with my usual doctor, as she won't be available until next Wednesday and I am not interested in waiting another six days to confirm or rule out pregnancy." _She paused. _"Which brings me to the reason I'm calling. You have voiced your interest in being part of everything and since this appointment would fall into the 'everything' category, I am assuming you would like to accompany me." _She exhaled._ "Do you want to come?"_

"Of course I want to come!" He half smiled at a passerby who gave him a funny look after his overzealous reaction.

"_My appointment will likely be fifteen minutes to a half hour."_

"That quick?"

"_Yes," _she confirmed. "_This appointment today is only to confirm or rule out pregnancy, which will help us determine how we proceed. If I get a positive result from the urine and blood tests, I'll schedule my first prenatal examination with my obstetrician for some time in the next two months. Dr. Krill won't see me until I'm at least eight weeks, but will probably hold off until I reach twelve unless complications arise."_

He swallowed at the word complications.

"_If I receive a negative result—."_

He didn't want to think about that, even though it was a possibility.

"_We can try again next month." _She sighed. It was obvious she didn't like that outcome either.

"You want me to come pick you up?"

"_I am capable of driving myself."_

"See you soon."

"_Yes, you will. Goodbye."_

"Oh, and Bones?"

"_Booth?"_

"Thanks for this."

"_You're welcome." _

"I love you."

"_I love you."_

"Bye."

"_Bye."_

He hung up after she did and looked at the time. Pocketing his phone, he jogged across the street and headed towards his SUV. He jumped in and roared out of the parking lot, not wanting to be late for Brennan's appointment.

* * *

><p>When he arrived at the doctor's office, Booth found Brennan in the waiting area, reading a magazine. He approached her and smiled when she turned her head and looked up at him. "I was told it would be another five minutes."<p>

He nodded, taking a seat beside her.

She closed the magazine and set it in her lap, folding her hands on it. She tilted her head and gave him a look. "You smell like French fries." She shrugged and started reading the magazine again.

He smiled at her. He leaned over and peered down at the open magazine. "Personally, I think she wore it best, not her," he joked; he couldn't care less about celebrity fashion and he was sure Brennan didn't either.

She jumped and looked at him again. "What?" Turning her focus back to the page she was on, she realized what he was referring to with his seemingly random comment. "Oh."

A nurse with short, bleach-blonde hair, dark, beady eyes, and dressed in scrubs with tiny pastel footprints all over it, came around the corner and grabbed a file before entering the small room. "Temperance," she called.

Brennan set the magazine on the side table and stood up.

The nurse smiled as Brennan and Booth approached her. "Good afternoon. I'm Kristin. How are you today?"

"Good," Booth answered the bubbly nurse.

Brennan nodded. "I'm doing fine, as well."

Kristin led them to a room down a long hallway. While Booth and Brennan took seats against the wall, she sat down at the computer and logged in. She put in Brennan's information, pulling up her patient profile. "What is the reason for your appointment?"

Brennan swallowed. "I took two home pregnancy tests a week ago and they were both positive, but I don't quite trust them. The purpose of this appointment is to find out if I am, in fact, pregnant, or if they were false positives."

Kristin jotted that down. "What prompted you to take the test? Were you experiencing any symptoms? Nausea, fatigue, spotting, tender breasts?" She asked, naming a few.

Brennan glanced at Booth and then focused on the nurse. "We have just recently decided to try and conceive. I'm not experiencing any pregnancy symptoms yet and I'm only two days late."

Kristin smiled knowingly. "So impatience?"

Brennan raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Would it be accurate to say impatience prompted you to take the home pregnancy tests so early?"

Brennan nodded. "Oh, yes, I suppose so."

Kristin finished with a few more simple questions and then stood up. "Now let's get you on the scale."

Brennan stood and walked the short distance to the scale. She stepped on and stayed still, watching Kristin move the weights until everything was balanced.

"All done."

Brennan stepped off and rejoined Booth.

Kristin sat at the computer again and proceeded to take Brennan's blood pressure and temperature. She then smiled as she stood up. "Dr. Judd will be in shortly." She handed Brennan a gown. "You can leave your underwear on, but please remove your bra."

Brennan nodded in understanding and waited until Kristin shut the door behind her. She quickly stripped down to her underwear and slipped on the gown. She turned around in front of Booth.

Booth, after recovering (barely) from seeing his wife practically naked, stood and tied the gown closed. "You could have given me a little warning, there, Bones. I could have at least, you know, turned around, shut my eyes, or something."

"I thought Kristin handing me the gown and informing me to keep my underwear on but to take off my bra would be warning enough. Besides, you have seen me naked many times, Booth. The most recent being this morning. Did you forget?"

He swallowed. "Uh, no, definitely not."

She folded her clothing and set the pile on the third chair. She sat down in her seat and let out a breath.

He was about to ask if she was okay, feeling her sudden unease, but there was a knock on the door and it opened a short time later.

* * *

><p>A youngish women entered the room, smiling brightly at the two of them. Her dull brown hair was pulled into an unkempt bun and her green eyes were hidden behind thick-framed glasses. "Good afternoon, my name is Dr. Judd," she greeted, her voice a bit raspy. "You normally see Dr. Reardon, correct?"<p>

Brennan nodded.

Clearing her throat, Dr. Judd sat down at the computer and put in her credentials. She pulled up Brennan's records and glanced at the notes Kristin had made. "You're here for a pregnancy test?"

Once again, Brennan nodded.

"Okay, great." Dr. Judd paused. "We'll start by drawing some blood. Then we'll do a physical exam, followed by a urine test." She left the room and returned within a couple of minutes with all the necessary supplies. After preparing Brennan for the quick procedure and readying the needle, she pricked the skin, sliding the needle into the vein she had selected moments earlier. With the vial filled, she removed the needle and held a ball of cotton to the small dot of blood. "Just hold that there for a few seconds," she said, packaging the sample and handing it to the nurse that had accompanied her into the room. "We should get the results in a couple of days and then I'll give you a call."

Brennan nodded.

Dr. Judd tossed the cotton ball and instructed Brennan to get up onto the table. She started at the neck and worked her way down, noting the hiss Brennan expressed when she lightly kneaded her breasts and the clenched jaw she saw when she pressed on her stomach. "Everything appears to be normal," she said, handing Brennan a clear cup and an alcohol wipe.

Brennan took the items and disappeared into the bathroom.

Booth tapped his foot and rubbed his hands together. _What is taking her so long? C'mon, Bones. _The two home pregnancy tests were positive, so in his gut, he knew she was pregnant, but somehow finding out while in a doctor's office, having the test be administered by the doctor, made it seem more real.

Brennan emerged from the restroom and set the cup on the counter. She started to get back on the exam table, but Dr. Judd stopped her.

"It's okay. You can sit next to your husband."

Brennan nodded, taking her seat beside Booth.

He immediately took her hand and give it a reassuring squeeze.

Dr. Judd smiled at the couple before she dipped a fresh indicator strip into the cup. When the test was complete, she studied it for a long while.

He stared at the doctor, his stomach in knots. "Is there a problem?"

Dr. Judd shook her head. "No."

"Well? What does it say?" he asked, starting to get frustrated with the doctor.

"It's negative."

He blinked. "What?"

Brennan let out a soft gasp.

Dr. Judd didn't respond; she just repeated the test. The results were the same. "It's negative."

"How—what—but the two home pregnancy tests were positive. You've got to be reading it wrong."

"I assure you, Mr. Booth, I am reading the test correctly. Depending on the test, home pregnancy tests can actually be more sensitive than the urine test I just preformed, since some are able to detect hCG much sooner."

He didn't hear anything past her first sentence; he just sat there, looking at Brennan, who he could tell was trying her hardest not to react to the news.

Brennan sighed, pulling her hand away from Booth's. "Thank you, Dr. Judd."

Dr. Judd smiled sadly. It was clear these two people were hoping for different results. "False positives happen, as do false negatives. We don't have the capacity to do an ultrasound here, but I could give you a referral for a Dr. Kingston, who is an OB/GYN over at George Washington." Dr. Judd paused. "I do have some pamphlets on pregnancy and fertility if you're interested and we are still waiting on the results of the blood test."

Brennan shook her head. "That's not necessary."

Dr. Judd nodded and excused herself.

Brennan tore off the gown and redressed. She squared her shoulders and walked towards the door. "I shouldn't be home late."

Booth sighed. "Bones."

With her hand on the knob, she turned and smiled at him. "I'm fine."

"We'll try again."

She nodded. "Next month," she agreed.

"It just wasn't the right time." He was bummed. He thought for sure she was pregnant and part of him still didn't believe the negative result. "Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital?"

"I'm positive."

He winced at her choice of words. He stood and gave her a hug. "I'll see you at home."

She nodded and opened the door, heading back down the hallway.

He shook his head and followed her, giving her a five minute head start. She might have given up hope, completely dismissed the two positive test results she had gotten a week ago in favor of what the doctor had said, but he was banking on the blood test results coming back positive. He just wasn't sure he could wait two days to find out if he was right. If only he could convince Brennan to have the ultrasound today…


	8. Chapter 8

**_I tried to get this chapter up earlier, but I was never quite satisfied with it, so I ended rewriting it three times. Plus, with work and a new six-month-old puppy we just adopted, finding time to sit down and write is a little difficult..._**

**_Anyway, I hope you like this chapter :)_**

* * *

><p>It took Booth all of sixty seconds to regret giving Brennan a five-minute head start. He made it to the lobby before taking off in a sprint the rest of the way out of the doctor's office, hoping he hadn't given her too much time. He stopped on the sidewalk and caught his breath as he scanned the parking lot, searching for her car. He sighed. She was gone. Just for the Hell of it, he took another look, and sure enough, there was her car. It had been hidden behind a blue Ford truck, which had just pulled out.<p>

Not bothering to see if any cars were coming, he ran out into the parking lot and over to her car. He gave the car a quick glance; he wanted to be sure it was actually hers. After confirming he had picked the right car, thanks to the skeleton family decal on the back window he had gotten her as a joke, he walked around to the driver's side door. He lifted his fist, about to knock on the window, when he realized the seat was unoccupied. He cursed under his breath. She couldn't have gotten _that_ far in seven minutes, especially on foot.

He needed to find her before she got back to the Jeffersonian if he was going to have any success convincing her to have the ultrasound. He realized that driving would be quicker than walking, so he headed to his SUV. He jumped into the driver's seat and nearly jumped when he felt a presence in the passenger seat. Slowly turning his head, his hand already reaching for his gun, he gasped. "Bones."

Brennan was sitting there, slumped towards the window, her head resting on the glass.

He shut the door and twisted his body towards her. "Bones?" He called again, his fingers brushing the top of her hand.

"I don't believe her, but I don't know why," she whispered. "Home pregnancy tests are only so affective in detecting pregnancy and are far more accurate _after _a woman has missed her period. It was foolish of me to have allowed your excitement to cloud my rationality." She exhaled. "Despite that, I am having an incredibly hard time believing it was a false positive."

He smiled, caressing her hand as he continued to watch her and listen.

"I feel pregnant, which makes no sense to me. I do not _feel_ things. You do." She shook her head. "I have no reason to question Dr. Judd's findings, but I am. I am and I don't know why I am. It's very frustrating."

He laughed.

She frowned, her brows furrowing. "This is not funny, Booth."

"What you're describing is instinct, Bones, of the maternal variety."

She shook her head. "No, I don't think so. There's no such thing."

"Then how do you explain knowing Christine's sick before we even physically check on her or she comes to us complaining of a stomach ache or sore throat?"

She blinked.

He looked at her knowingly. "I'm waiting."

"Well, I—it's quite simple actually, it—."

"Can't think of anything?" He smirked, knowing he was right.

She waved her hand at him. "Just give me a minute."

He gave her a full minute. "Well?"

"I have superb hearing." It was a lame explanation, but it was something. She knew he wasn't buying it, though; she would have been better off saying nothing at all.

His thumb passed over her knuckles and he leaned towards her. "Don't fight it, Bones. Go with it. Yeah, sometimes gut instincts can back fire on you, but most of time they pay off big time." He paused. "If you're not ready for the ultrasound, how about we just wait a couple of days for the blood test results? The urine test might have been negative, but those things are just glorified home pregnancy tests, right? And you've said a million times that those aren't always accurate. And whatever happened to waiting for all the facts in a situation before coming to a conclusion? We don't have all the facts here, Bones." He squeezed her hand.

She was quiet for a long time, her head now turned towards the window again, her eyes staring at nothing in particular. She hadn't talked in so long that it startled Booth when she said, "Okay."

He blinked. "Okay?"

"You're right." She leaned back and slumped down in her seat. "Do you think I'm crazy?" she asked, looking straight ahead.

He shook his head. "Of course not. Because if you're crazy, so am I."

She turned towards him, her lips slowly curving upwards into a smile.

"What do you want to do? It's your call."

She closed her eyes for a second before refocusing on him. "We have some time before Christine gets out of school. I want the ultrasound." She was afraid of what they'd discover or, more importantly, _not _discover, but she needed to know.

"You sure?"

She nodded. "Before, when I said your excitement was effecting me, that is still true, but you're not the only one to blame here. Perhaps my own desire to have another child has made me act rather irrationally, as well. Now that we're actively trying, I find myself wanting this more than I've ever wanted anything."

He put the key in the ignition and shifted the SUV into reverse. "Me too, Bones." He pulled out of the parking space and headed to the exit. Once he reached the main road, he aimed his vehicle towards the hospital and rested his hand, palm up, on the center console, in silent invitation.

She placed her hand in his and rested her head back on the seat. She closed her eyes and let out a breath.

The drive to the hospital was silent, except for the radio playing Soft Rock tunes in the background.

* * *

><p>Booth and Brennan were called back into a room forty-five minutes after arriving at the hospital. The outpatient waiting room wasn't incredibly busy and Dr. Judd had called, even though Brennan originally declined her offer.<p>

Brennan was currently sitting on the edge of the exam table, holding the edges of her paper gown closed over her chest. She was quiet as she looked around the room. One wall was covered in posters all depicting pregnancy, motherhood, or early infancy in some fashion, and there was a series of anatomy models of a pregnant woman's pelvis on the counter, one for the first two trimesters and two for the third.

Booth seemed especially captivated, if not a little sickened, by them. He picked up a third trimester model, the one showcasing the fetus at 40 weeks gestation and stared at it. The baby was so lifelike, it was freaky.

"Booth?" Brennan called, not wanting to sit in silence any longer.

He jumped, accidently knocking the model off the counter. The baby came lose and both hit the floor just as the door opened.

A petite woman entered the room, her dark eyes drawn to Booth, who was now on his knees, reaching for the plastic baby that had landed under the exam table. She smirked, shaking her head. Adjusting her glasses, she pulled over a rolling stool and took a seat. "Good afternoon. I'm Dr. Kingston."

He stood quickly, narrowly avoiding banging his head on the overhung edge of the bed, popped the baby back into the model uterus, and set it gently on the counter. "Uh, sorry about that."

Dr. Kingston just smiled. "You'd be surprised how many times that's happened." She paused. "I just want to confirm that you're here for an ultrasound?"

Brennan nodded. "Yes."

"Can you tell me more about why you're requesting an ultrasound? Dr. Judd couldn't disclose any of that information to me, seeing as she's bound by patient-doctor confidentiality."

Brennan swung her legs around and shifted to get more comfortable on the table. "I took two pregnancy tests a week ago and they were both positive, but the urine test Dr. Judd performed earlier was negative. Because the results are conflicting, I am unsure if I'm pregnant or not. Dr. Judd drew blood, but the results of that test will take time and I would very much like to know sooner rather than later," she explained.

Dr. Kingston nodded. "Waiting for conformation is almost always nerve-racking."

Brennan felt the urge to correct the doctor, but bit her tongue. Something couldn't almost always happen; those terms were mutually exclusive.

"Since you're already in the gown, let's go ahead and do the ultrasound now. We can discuss more afterwards." Dr. Kingston stood up and pulled over the ultrasound machine. She powered it on and looked at Brennan. "I'm going to do what's known as a transvaginal ultrasound. It will give me a much clearer picture of the developing pregnancy than a transabdominal ultrasound."

Brennan nodded, agreeing with the decision the doctor had made.

"You'll likely feel some pressure, but other than that it shouldn't be too uncomfortable." Dr. Kingston prepared the transducer, rolling a condom over the probe and making sure it was adequately lubricated. "I just need you to lie back and put your legs in the stirrups."

Brennan did as the doctor asked and looked at Booth, who looked incredibly uncomfortable, his eyes shifting between her pelvic region and the transducer Dr. Kingston was holding. She smirked. "Do you need a bucket, Booth?"

Booth swallowed and turned his head slowly towards her. "Huh?"

"You're very pale and you're sweating, both indications that you may soon vomit. I asked if you needed a bucket."

He shook his head. "I'm, no, I'm good, Bones." He grabbed her hand and leaned over, pressing a kiss to her hair. "Whenever you're ready, Doc."

Dr. Kingston nodded, getting into position. "Is this your first child?"

Brennan shook her head. "No. We have a four year-old daughter together and he has a son from a previous long-term, monogamous relationship."

Booth groaned.

Dr. Kingston smiled. She inserted the probe and studied the monitor.

Brennan clenched her jaw and blinked.

Booth gave Brennan's hand a squeeze, his heart racing.

Finally, Dr. Kingston exhaled and swiveled the monitor around so Booth and Brennan could see. With her pinky, she pointed at a spot on the screen. "I know there's not much to see, but here is the gestational sac."

At Dr. Kingston's observation, Brennan felt a familiar pressure behind her eyes and her jaw relaxed.

Booth groped at her shoulder as he started at the monitor. "What's that mean?"

"It means, congratulations," Dr. Kingston said.

"Wait, what? She's, Bones is, there's really a baby in there?"

Dr. Kingston nodded. "Yes."

"I knew it!" He turned his attention from the screen to Brennan. "Bones, you're pregnant!"

Brennan shook her head, glancing at him, a few tears spilling over her bottom lid and sliding down her cheeks.

He held both her hands and leaned over, capturing her lips with his. He broke away and skimmed his thumb over her cheeks. "No such thing as maternal instincts, huh?"

Brennan didn't comment, as her eyes and focus were drawn back to the machine. There was nothing to see, not really, but she knew it was there. There was no question about it.

"I estimate you're about four weeks along. Does that sound accurate?"

Brennan wasn't paying attention; she was in her own little world.

Booth was half listening and nodded, despite not having a clue what Dr. Kingston was asking.

Dr. Kingston shook her head and backed out of the room, choosing to give them some privacy. She'd come back in a few minutes to answer any questions they had and to wrap up the appointment.


	9. Chapter 9

Booth was in his own little world as he exited the elevator on the fourth floor. He practically skipped his way through the bullpen to his office and he'd been smiling since Dr. Judd confirmed the pregnancy three weeks ago. He didn't notice the voices suddenly quiet down, nor did he notice the stares he had been receiving from the other agents when he passed by them. If he had, he ignored them.

He unlocked his office door and slipped inside, kicking it shut again and drawing the blinds. He plopped down in the chair and as he reached to turn on his computer screen, he caught sight of one of the framed pictures on his desk. He smiled, though it faded a bit the harder he stared at the photographs of a smiling, wide-eyed, six-week-old Christine and a laughing, eighteen-month-old Parker. They were both so big now; it was hard to believe either of them had been that small.

His son was a full-blown teenager; he was already looking at colleges and yesterday during their weekly FaceTime session, he let slip that he was going out to the movies with a girl in his English class and implied it hadn't been the first time they had hung out just the two of them. The connection had cut off before Booth could question him about it.

His little girl was an adult stuck in a four year-old's body a lot of the time. He rarely saw her without a book, when she watched television, she preferred watching the news or something on the History, National Geographic, or Discovery channel, and he found himself reaching for a dictionary more frequently these days just so he could understand what in the world she was talking about.

Parker, even though he had a bit of an attitude problem and had cut many of their phone and video calls short to go out with his friends or play videogames, still liked to roughhouse, toss the football around, camp out in the backyard, and battle his Dad in epic Nerf or water gun fights (depending on the season) during his visits.

Christine, despite acting older than she actually was most of the time, still took baths with a hot pink rubber ducky and wore bunny slippers. She still liked to get tucked in, build forts out of pillows and couch cushions, and dance around the living room on Booth's feet. Leaf piles were still irresistible, paint, crayon, colored pencil, or marker rarely stayed in between the lines, and some words were still frequently, hilariously mispronounced.

As much as Booth loved watching them grow up, he loved those moments where it seemed like he stepped into a time machine and went back a few years more than anything. In all honesty, he lived for them.

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes for a second and then refocused on the pictures. He set the double-frame down and slipped his hand in his pants' pocket, pulling out the small square photograph he had been carrying around for weeks. After brushing his thumb across the image, the smile on his face growing wider, he stuck one edge into the portion of the frame across the bottom of Christine's picture. He angled the frame in such a way that no one could see the sonogram unless they were sitting at his desk and glanced at it one last time before getting back to work. He'd have to invest in a tri-fold frame soon; that thought made him smile even more. He should have known his good mood wouldn't last much longer.

* * *

><p>An hour later, Booth was dozing off in a meeting when he was startled awake by the buzzing of his cell phone in his pocket.<p>

A newer agent sitting beside him turned her head and glared at him. There were so many people packed into the room that everyone was on top of everyone else. Not only could she hear the vibration, but it was likely she could feel it against her leg as well.

He shrugged his shoulders and ran his hand over his face. He hadn't even realized he'd fallen asleep. He grabbed his phone, earning another meaner glare from the blonde. He fought the urge to roll his eyes and quickly answered the call without checking the Caller I.D. "Booth."

"_Booth! Finally. It's Angela."_

He sat up straight, hearing the panic in the artist's voice. It was obviously not the first time she'd tried to get a hold of him and that made his heart sink a little.

"_Booth? Are you there? Hello?"_

He exhaled. "Yeah, uh, I'm here. Is Bones—is she okay?"

"_I don't know! She just, she just," _Angela sniffled, "_I walked into her office to show her a sketch for a mural I'm doing for Michael's playroom and she was—."_

"She was what, Angela?"

"_She was, I, Booth—."_

He slammed his fist onto the table in frustration, effectively getting the attention of everyone in the room. Not caring about the consequences of his actions, he got up and left. He made it about halfway to the elevator before he stopped and had to lean against the wall. "Angela, please, just tell me. What happened? Is she okay?"

"_She was on the floor by the couch. She was bleeding. I think she hit her head on the corner of the coffee table," _Angela said, somewhat composed. _"She looked like a ghost. I tried calling to her, but she didn't respond. Cam called 9-1-1 and the paramedics just took her. I'm in the car now. Hodgins is driving. She seemed fine twenty minutes ago. I don't know what—."_

He closed his eyes. So many scenarios were running through his mind at the moment, each worse than the one that came before. After taking note of the hospital, he hung up, shoving his phone back into his pocket. His breathing was coming faster and faster and his heart was racing. If he didn't calm down, he was sure to pass out and that was the last thing he needed to have happen right now. He was shaking and his eyes were glossed over. He was barely aware of his surroundings as he flew down the stairs.

As he sped out of the parking garage, cutting off another vehicle and just avoiding a crash in the process, he flicked on the siren and lights. He didn't care that this was technically an abuse of power since this wasn't official FBI business; he just cared about getting to hospital as quickly as possible. _She has to be okay. __**They**__ have to be okay._


	10. Chapter 10

Booth pulled up to the entrance of the Emergency Room and jumped out, the engine still running and the lights still flashing. He ran into the hospital and straight up to the check-in desk. He was about to knock on the counter when he heard someone call his name. He turned around and saw Angela rushing towards him.

He had barely had time to register her presence before he felt her flush against him, her arms tightly wound around his torso. "Angela?" His voice shook as he said her name. His heart was beating fast and his body was trembling as he waited for her to start speaking; her silence was unnerving. He had finally convinced himself pulling into the hospital parking lot that Brennan was fine, that the baby was okay, but Angela's reaction made him doubt that.

After a long minute, Angela stepped back. She cleared her throat and swallowed, blinking and wiping away excess tears. She motioned for him to follow her as she walked back over to where Hodgins was sitting in one of the uncomfortable waiting room chairs a few feet away.

He nodded and took a seat opposite the couple, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. "What happened?"

She slumped against Hodgins, who gripped her hand, and sighed. "I don't know. The doctor, she was already being examined when we got here, but no one's told us anything. We—_that_ _woman_ over there won't tell us anything."

He turned his head and glanced in the direction of the check-in counter where Angela was looking at the blonde-haired woman starting intently at the computer screen. He turned back around and listened to Angela as she struggled to recount (again) exactly what had happened leading up to Cam calling 9-1-1. When the artist could barely even speak and Hodgins had pulled her into a somewhat awkward embrace due to how they were seated, he got up and stalked over to the check-in counter.

* * *

><p>In the time it took Angela to communicate the day's earlier events, the blonde woman who had previously been seated at the computer had been replaced by a young, bearded man. He looked up just as Booth reached the counter. "May I help you, sir?"<p>

"My wife, I need to know where she is and if she's okay. She's pregnant and I—just tell me if she's okay."

"Name?"

"Bones." Booth, realizing what he had just said, corrected himself. "Temperance Brennan."

The man raised an eyebrow at the odd nickname, but turned his focus to the computer. He quickly typed in the name and looked up at Booth once again. "I'm sorry, sir, there seems to be no record of a patient by that name here."

"What do you mean, no record?"

"It's possible she just hasn't been logged in yet." The man paused. "Someone will be out to update you shortly."

"That's not good enough. She's my wife, she's pregnant, okay? No one knows that. Just me and her. Something happened and I wasn't there and I don't know if they're okay. I can't lose them. So you get on that phone or get off your ass and find somebody who can tell me what's going on. Got it?"

"Sir, if you just—."

Booth shook his head. "No."

The man sighed. "I know you're worried, but your wife is being taken care of and as soon as there is something to tell, someone will be out to update you."

"You're not listening to me." Frustrated, Booth walked away and without a second thought, left the waiting room, on a mission to find out what was going on himself, since no one seemed to want to tell him anything.

* * *

><p>Booth snuck behind the first curtain and was immediately shooed away by a nurse. He had similar luck with the second and third bay, as well. He paused in front of the fourth curtain, hearing a woman scream behind it. It didn't sound like Brennan, but he couldn't be sure until he took a peek. He squared his shoulders and pulled back the curtain just enough to see inside. He exhaled; it wasn't her. He moved on, coming up empty each time.<p>

Standing in front of the last curtain, his heart was in his throat as he raised his hand to pull back the fabric. He closed his eyes for a split second and then slipped inside. He gasped when he saw her lying on the bed, so pale and still.

A nurse turned around and approached him. "Sir?"

He blinked, taking his off Brennan briefly to focus on the nurse. "Is she—what's—?"

The nurse walked him over to one of the chairs and sat him down. "What is your relation to this woman?"

"She's my," he swallowed, "my wife." He twisted his ring around his finger unconsciously and glanced back at the bed. "What's wrong with her? Is she okay?"

"Booth?"

He shot up at the sound of her voice and ran over to the bed. "Bones." He brushed his hand against her forehead.

Brennan blinked her eyes opened and smiled. "Hi."

"What the Hell happened?" he asked just as he noticed the gauze just above her right eye and the cervical collar around her neck.

Brennan blindly searched for his hand. "It's just a precaution, though it's highly unnecessary," she reassured, seeing him eying the collar. "I must have lost consciousness and hit my head on the corner of my coffee table. I recall sitting on my couch and working on my laptop. I remember feeling a bit lightheaded, but everything is a bit fuzzy after that."

Booth looked at the doctor, who was coming over to continue his examination. "Is she okay?"

The doctor smiled. "We'll get some x-rays of her spine and skull to make sure there are no fractures and a CT scan of her brain. She hit her head when she fainted, so there's a risk of a bleed." He paused. "She'll need stitches for the gash above her right eye, but we'll take care of that after she comes back."

"And the baby? Is the baby okay?" Booth was afraid to ask, but he needed to know.

"I've called for an OB consult, but from my initial examination of your wife, I feel comfortable saying everything is okay."

"So why'd she pass out?"

"It's possible she just did too much too fast, she could be a little dehydrated, or she might not be eating enough; however, it is more than likely just a symptom of pregnancy. The hormones produced during pregnancy relax the blood vessels, which results in too little blood being pumped up to the brain." The doctor paused. "I'll be happy to answer any questions you have, but first we really need to get her to radiology. If you'll just go out in the waiting room, I'll let you know when you can come see her."

Booth squeezed Brennan's hand.

Brennan smiled. "I'm fine, Booth. You're worrying too much."

"Bones, Angela called me freaked out because she found you on the floor of your office, covered in blood. She told me she tried to call you but you didn't respond. Do you have any idea how scared I was? I didn't know what was going on or if you and the baby were okay. I think I have a right to be worried."

She sighed. "I'm _fine._" She shook her head. "And 'covered in blood' is an exaggeration, Booth. It is only a scratch."

He touched the gauze over her eye. "A scratch doesn't require stitches, Bones." He let his hand fall away. "And if you were fine, you wouldn't be here right now needing all these scans and consults."

"I was attempting to make you feel less anxious."

He nodded, not able to hide his smile. "I know."

"Tell Angela I apologize if I frightened her." Her eyes widened. "Does she know?"

He shook his head. "I don't think so."

She exhaled. "I thought she might have figured it out. Before this incident, she mentioned that she thinks you and I had been acting strange for a few weeks now and she wants to know what's going on. She said she's never seen us so giddy."

"We'll just have to control ourselves a little better, don't we?"

The doctor cleared his throat.

Booth glanced at the doctor and then back at Brennan. "I'll be in the waiting room."

She squeezed his hand.

He nodded. "I love you."

She smiled, wanting desperately to turn her head towards him but the cervical collar prevented that. "I love you too," she whispered.

"God, Bones, this pregnancy isn't even a quarter of the way through and you've already managed to give me a heart attack. How am I supposed to survive the rest of it?"

She smirked. "There's a simple solution."

"And what would that be? Does it involve me wrapping you up in a giant bubble? Because that can be arranged."

She rolled her eyes. "No. It involves you being less overprotective. If you care less, your risk of suffering a heart attack is reduced significantly."

"Not going to happen. I care _too _much to care less."

"Booth—."

The doctor finally cut in. "Sir—."

"Right." Booth gave Brennan a quick kiss on the forehead and squeezed her hand. "I'll see you soon." He reluctantly let go and disappeared behind the curtain.

She looked at the doctor. "This is all very unnecessary."

"Maybe, maybe not. We have to rule out every possibility."

A nurse came in and prepped Brennan for transport and a few minutes later, she was being taken to radiology.

* * *

><p>Close to an hour later, Brennan was lying somewhat comfortably in a hospital bed. She was tired, her head was pounding, and she wanted to go home. She turned towards the door, an easy task now that the collar had been removed, and smiled when Booth entered the room. "Hi."<p>

Booth smiled back. "Hi yourself." He approached the bed and pulled over a chair. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. I have a headache and I'm tired, but otherwise, I'm perfectly fine. The obstetrician will be here shortly to check on the baby."

He brushed her hair out of her face. "Dr. White said he'd be in soon to do your stitches."

She nodded. "Yes, he did mention that, as well. He told me ten minutes."

"So no fractures?"

"I told you I was okay."

He nodded, grabbing her hand. "I know."

"I have a concussion, however."

"Yeah, I was afraid of that."

She nodded, resting her back on the pillows and closing her eyes as she let out a breath.

"You okay, Bones?"

She smiled. "I'm okay, just tired."

"Rest." He skimmed his thumb across her forehead, down her cheek, and along her jaw.

"Was Angela upset with me?"

He shook his head. "No. She's just worried. I told her you'd be up for visitors later, after you get your stitches. She and Hodgins are in the cafeteria right now."

She nodded. "Booth?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm sorry I scared you."

"It's okay. I'm just glad you're okay."

A knock on the door interrupted the moment. Dr. White walked in and smiled. "Hello again." He walked around the bed and set the suture kit on the bedside table. "I'll try and make this as quick and painless as possible." He removed the gauze, cleaned the wound, and then numbed the area before he proceeded to stitch her up. Seven stitches later, he was done and put on a fresh bandage. "That wasn't too bad, right?"

She shook her head, feeling drained suddenly.

"I'll leave to rest. Dr. Hilltower is finishing up with a patient and then she'll be in to see you."

"Thank you, Dr. White."

"No problem," the doctor nodded and left the room.

"That looked like it hurt." Booth winced just thinking about the way the doctor had thread the needle in and out of her skin. Getting stitches yourself and watching someone you love getting them was a totally different experience.

"It was not pleasant," she agreed.

He pressed a kiss to the side of her head. "You look exhausted."

"I am."

Another knock came a minute later; this time the obstetrician came in, a bright smile on her face as she pushed an ultrasound machine into the room. "So I hear you had a syncopal episode this afternoon?" she asked Brennan while setting up the machine.

Brennan nodded. "Yes."

"Any cramping? Vaginal bleeding?"

"No."

Dr. Hilltower, a relatively tall woman with faded blonde hair and overly teased eyebrows, lifted the sheet and palpated Brennan's stomach. Satisfied, she stepped back and prepped Brennan for the ultrasound. "How far along are you?"

"Seven weeks," Brennan managed to mutter. All she wanted to do was sleep, even though it was only mid-afternoon.

Dr. Hilltower smiled and moved the transducer over Brennan's belly, her eyes fixated on the screen. "Here we go—oh."

Booth blinked. "Oh? Why oh? What's wrong?"

Brennan shifted and stared at the doctor, a little more wide awake now.

Dr. Hilltower shook her head. "Nothing's wrong." She paused and angled the monitor more so they could see the screen better. "Both babies are doing great. Those little flickers are the babies' heartbeats."

Booth swallowed. "Did you just say babies?" He turned to Brennan. "I think she just said babies, Bones."

"Babies?"

Dr. Hilltower nodded. "Congratulations." She paused. "They're about the size of blueberries right now."

Booth grinned. "There are really two babies in there?"

"Yes."

"And they're okay?"

"Yes."

He looked at Brennan, squeezing her hand. "We're having blueberries, Bones." He shook his head, letting out a chuckle. "I mean, twins."

Brennan laughed.

Dr. Hilltower smiled. "Do you have any questions for me?"

They both shook their heads, too overwhelmed to think of a question to ask.

"Then I leave you with these." Dr. Hilltower handed each a sonogram, wiped off Brennan's stomach, and shut down the machine. She congratulated them again before leaving the room.

Booth blinked when he heard the door click. He looked down at the square photo and swallowed. Twins. Oh, boy.

Brennan looked up at him. "Can you go find Dr. White and ask him when I can go home? Because I'd very much like to go home now."

He pulled his attention away from the grainy photo and focused on Brennan. "Hmm, oh, uh, yeah." He paused. "This is big, Bones."

She nodded. "It's a bit overwhelming."

"Yeah, but we can handle it." He paused. "You're not regretting this now, are you?"

She shook her head. "Of course not."

He smiled. "Good." He took her by surprise when he leaned over and crashed his lips against hers. "I love you," he whispered against her mouth after pulling away just slightly.

"I love you too." She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and closed her eyes.

"I'll go get Dr. White and check to see if Angela and Hodgins are back from the cafeteria. I'll send them back if I find them."

She nodded. "Don't say anything about our blueberries." She felt a little foolish saying that out loud, but she did it anyway.

He smiled. "I won't." He gave her another quick kiss and then left the room.

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><p><strong><em>Thanks for the reviewsfollows/favorites. You guys are awesome!_**

**_Hope you liked this chapter :)_**


	11. Chapter 11

Brennan tipped her head back and rested it against the wall of the shower, the water cascading down her face. Twins. Two babies. Twenty fingers. Twenty toes. 412 bones. The news hadn't completely sunken in until minutes ago, a month after finding out about them.

It started with a dream. She was at work, struggling to see beyond her belly to the skeleton laid out on the table in front of her, when she felt the first contraction. She ignored them as long as she could, but after an hour and a half, they grew too strong. She was having difficulty concentrating and the pain was so bad at points that she could barely stand. She tried calling Booth, each time it going straight to voicemail. Frustrated, she went in search of Angela, who of course she couldn't find. In fact, she realized she was alone at the lab. She ended up driving herself to the hospital; however, she had to pull over halfway there because she began to feel pressure so intense she couldn't see straight any longer. With her hazard lights flashing, she climbed into the backseat and leaned against the door behind the driver's seat. She bent her legs slightly, her feet pressed into the other door, and pushed. A few minutes later, two babies slid out, screaming and crying and wriggling around. She tried to comfort them, but she couldn't move and her arms seemed to shrink every time she reached for her sons. Everything grew quiet suddenly and in the span of a few seconds, the babies transformed into grown men. She jolted awake shortly afterwards, screaming, breathing heavy, her heart racing, her whole body shaking.

Her screaming woke Booth up and without any words exchanged, he pulled her into his arms and held her. She knew he was frightened and concerned, but she couldn't speak, couldn't even begin to explain what her dream was about. She managed to relax enough to fall back asleep, only to be woken up an hour later because of nausea and a full bladder. She hadn't wanted to get up, but the need to urinate grew too great to ignore. She slowly stood up, her stomach doing a little flip, which sent her running to the toilet. She had been feeling queasy since about a week after she was released from the hospital following her syncope episode, but it wasn't unbearable; she always felt better around lunchtime and up until this morning, she hadn't gotten to the point of getting physically sick. Her nausea had been all but nonexistent at this stage in her pregnancy the first time around. The fact that it was getting worse and not better made her pause; it was a reminder that her dream wasn't just a dream.

Despite Booth's one extra belly kiss and good morning, which had been added to his routine over the past month, it wasn't until she was getting ready to take a shower that it truly hit her. She had just disrobed and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. It shocked her. She had a small baby bump. She had gained some weight over the last two and a half months, enough that Angela commented on it, but seeing her abdomen take on a rounder appearance made it all the more real. With her first pregnancy, she hadn't shown until well into her second trimester.

Between the dream, the vomiting, and the noticeable baby bump, she couldn't ignore it any longer. Two babies were coming whether she was prepared for their arrival or not.

"Bones? You okay in there?"

Booth's voice coming through the bathroom door brought her back to the present. She let out a breath and stepped out from underneath the showerhead. "I'm fine," she called back.

"Are you sure?"

She sighed, turning off the shower. She got out and wrapped the towel around her body before walking over to the door and opening it. She looked up at him and flashed him a small smile. "Yes, I'm sure."

He blinked, taking her in. "You don't look fine."

"Give me a minute to get dressed."

He nodded and backed up, watching her shut the door. He sighed and sat on the edge of the bed.

* * *

><p>Brennan opened the door minutes later, dressed in slacks and a loose fitting blouse. She walked passed Booth and picked up the blazer that she had slung over the back of the chair. She slipped it on and turned to face him. "Is Christine ready for school?"<p>

Booth nodded. "She's in the kitchen having a bowl of cereal."

"That wasn't my question."

He rolled his eyes. "She's dressed and her backpack is stuffed to the zipper."

"Good because she cannot miss the bus again this morning." She sank down on the mattress to put on her boots. It wouldn't be long until her feet and ankles were too swollen to wear shoes with any type of heel.

"You got sick this morning."

"I'm pregnant. That might happen occasionally."

"Bones."

She slumped forward and looked at him. "Yes, I did."

"You feeling better?"

"Yes, though I'm still quite nauseated. I don't think I'm going to eat breakfast. Perhaps, I'll have some tea with lemon in it. Hopefully, the citrus will help settle my stomach."

"Something else is bothering you."

"We're having twins, Booth."

He beamed. "Yeah, I know."

"I don't think you understand. In seven months, we're going to have two newborns."

He smiled even wider. "Yeah, I know."

She grunted. "Two babies, Booth."

"Bones."

"I just—we work, our jobs are stressful and the hours are long, we have a daughter, who still needs us, and what happens when Parker comes to visit? I—I'm not sure this is such a good idea. I don't think I thought this through before I agreed to have another child. I didn't even consider twins, which is foolish because the chance of conceiving multiples increases with age."

His eyes widened. "I thought you said you didn't regret this, Bones."

"I—it just hit me, Booth."

He scooted closer to her and took her hand. "We can do this."

"I'm just freaking out. The feeling will pass."

He pressed a kiss to her forehead and squeezed her hand. "Can you tell me about your dream?"

"Later."

He nodded. "Okay." He paused. "Everything's gonna be fine."

"I just need some time to get used to this." She sighed. "I want to show you something."

He waited and when she didn't move, he nudged her. "What is it?"

She stood up and untucked her blouse from the waistband of her pants. She rolled it up and turned to face him.

He stared at her, unsure where to focus. He settled his gaze on her belly and a smile slowly grew on his face. "Bones, you're—." He reached out and pressed both hands flat on her stomach.

She was surprised to see tears in his eyes. "Booth?"

He cleared his throat and blinked, pulling his hands away and standing up. "Uh, I'm going to go check on Christine. The bus will be here soon." He turned to leave, but she grabbed his hand.

"I'm happy. I'm just, it's overwhelming."

He nodded. "I know." He squeezed her hand. "You know what helps me? I look at the most recent sonogram and think about getting to watch two little babies grow up. Yeah, there's gonna be some not so fun stuff, but just think, Bones. Twice the smiles and twice the laughs. Twice the kisses and twice the hugs. Twice the 'mamas' and 'dadas' and twice the 'I love yous'. I think about that and think about what they're gonna look like. If we're gonna have two boys or two girls or one of each. If they're gonna be more like me or more like you or a mix of both of our personalities. I'm scared; everything is still so unknown and we're never going to be 100 percent prepared for what's to come, but it's exciting and I know we'll be okay. This is just another challenge for us to overcome and we will, we will overcome this."

"Our figs are very lucky to have you as their father, Booth."

"Figs?"

She nodded. "Yes, according to this application for my phone, the babies are now the size of figs."

He shuddered, an image of a fig tree popping into his head without warning. "They'll always be blueberries to me, Bones, so if you don't mind, I'll stick with that."

"I don't like figs."

He smiled.

"We need to come up with a better nickname for the babies. Other than blueberries, I mean. It's very long."

He placed his right hand over her belly and his eyes twinkled as he said, "Blue," he moved his hand over slightly, "Bear." He smiled and left the room.

She closed her eyes and rested her hand where his had just been. He always had a way of making her feel better and that was one of the many reasons she loved him. She let out a breath and finished getting ready for the day.


	12. Chapter 12

_**There's a slight time jump between the last chapter and this one, in case you couldn't tell...**_

* * *

><p>Brennan was sitting up in bed, reading, when Christine walked into the room and climbed up onto the mattress.<p>

The little girl crawled up to the pillows and leaned back, tilting her head towards her mom.

Brennan lowered the journal onto her lap and looked down at her daughter. "I thought Daddy was supposed to be tucking you in?"

Christine nodded, shrugging her shoulders. "He was. I excaped."

"You escaped?" Brennan smiled. "Why?"

"I wanna ask you something." Christine grew serious, no hint of a smile on her lips or sparkle in her eye.

Brennan turned her body towards Christine and swallowed. "What did you want to ask me?"

"Are you gonna die?" Christine's eyes welled with tears and her voice shook.

Brennan blinked. "What?" She paused, tossing the journal onto her nightstand and reaching for the trembling little girl. "Why—no, of course not." She nodded. "Well, I will one day, but I don't plan on dying any time soon," she amended.

"Okay." Christine went to slide off the bed, but Brennan held onto her.

"Why are you asking me this? Did something happen at school today?"

Christine nodded and played with a loose string on her Cinderella nightgown.

"What happened?"

Christine sniffled. "Jenny's," she coughed, "Jenny's daddy had a heart attack and she had to leave early. Her sister came and picked her up and she was crying. It was really bad."

Brennan was confused; she didn't get the connection. "What does this have to do with me dying, Honey?"

"Jenny's daddy was a really big man and big people have weak hearts. Their arteries are all blocked and blood can't go through them poprely, so their hearts don't get enough oxygen. If a heart doesn't get enough oxygen, it can't work right," Christine explained, not making eye contact.

"I know that, Sweetheart, but I still don't understand how this relates to me or my imminent demise."

Christine sighed. "Mommy, you're getting big. I don't want your arteries to get blocked and your heart to stop working right. I don't want you to die. You need to exercise a lot and eat your veggie tales."

Booth walked in the room and sighed in relief. "There you are. It's bed time."

"Not yet, Daddy. I'm expaining to Mommy that she has to exercise and eat her veggie tales 'cause I don't want her arteries to get blocked. She's getting big like Jenny's Daddy and Jenny's Daddy is in the hospital 'cause he had a heart attack 'cause he's a big man and his heart stopped working like it's supposed to 'cause his arteries are all blocked up with fat and his heart isn't getting enough oxygen." Christine exhaled, slumping back against the pillows.

Booth just stared at his daughter and then shifted his gaze to Brennan before returning his forcus to Christine. "Honey, I think we need to talk." He sat down on his side, sandwiching Christine in between the two adults.

Christine scooted close to him and looked up. "I'm listening, Daddy."

Booth looked over at Brennan again, silently asking for permission. At her nod, he let out a breath and brushed some of Christine's hair out of her face. "Mommy isn't getting big because she's not exercising or eating her vegetables."

Christine's forehead wrinkled as she frowned.

Booth sighed. "Christine—." He didn't know what to say.

Brennan jumped in. "Christine, I'm not overweight; I'm pregnant."

Christine's head spun around. "I don't know what that means, Mommy."

"It means, I'm going to have a baby. You're going to be a big sister, like Parker is a big brother."

Christine's eyes widened. "A baby?"

"Two babies, actually." Brennan took her daughter's hand and placed it on her growing belly.

Christine focused on her mom's stomach and blinked. "How'd they get in there?"

Booth froze and quickly exited the room, not wanting to be present for this conversation.

Brennan just shook her head, watching Booth leave the room in a hurry. The man could cockily blurt out that they were doing quite fine, sexually speaking, to his friends and go to the store to pick up a pregnancy test, but the second his daughter asked where babies came from, he couldn't even stick around to listen, let alone answer her question; Brennan would never understand him. Smiling at his retreating form for a few seconds, she turned back to Christine and explained the process of reproduction as detailed as she could, trying to keep it as PG and simple-worded as possible, as she remembered she was speaking to a five year-old. "We don't know what sex they are as of yet or if they're fraternal or identical, but I have a doctor's appointment on Wednesday and hopefully the babies will cooperate, so we can know if we're having two boys, two girls, or one of each."

"What's faternal mean?"

"Fraternal means they started out as two different fertilized eggs. They may look very similar, share similar physiological traits, such as similar noses or ears, or they may look nothing alike. Identical, on the other hand, means they started out as one fertilized egg, but split into two. Their DNA is nearly identical, as is their physical appearance."

Christine nodded in understanding.

"I'm very healthy, Sweetheart. My blood pressure is within normal range and my heart and lungs are working properly. I don't have high cholesterol, I eat a balanced diet, and I exercise regularly, or I try to, at least. It's been difficult because I'm more fatigued than usual and my ankles have already started to swell, but I do what I can."

"When are the babies gonna get here? How do they get out of there?"

Brennan leaned over and kissed the top of Christine's head. "I am currently 17 weeks along. The babies are due in September, but will likely be early, so I am expecting to give birth sometime in August." She paused and addressed her daughter's other question.

Brennan was sure her daughter fell asleep, as the room fell silent, but then Christine looked up at her and said, "I don't want a little brother or sister, Mommy."

Brennan's heart squeezed painfully in her chest and she felt like she couldn't take a deep breath. "Wha—why not?"

"I just don't want one." Christine jumped off the bed and ran out of the room, colliding with Booth, who was waiting just outside in the hallway.

"Whoa, Princess." Booth caught her and picked her up, balancing her on his hip. "What's wrong?"

"I don't want a little brother or sister." Christine wrapped her arms around her dad's neck and buried her face in his shoulder.

Booth stared into the bedroom and saw Brennan close to tears, her face pale. "Why not?"

Christine shrugged. "'Cause I don't."

"You have to give me a better reason than that."

Christine shook her head.

"I think it's time for bed." Booth carried Christine into her room and tucked her in, making sure she had her doll and stuffed bunny before he kissed her forehead and whispered goodnight. He left the room, switching off the light and shutting the door. On his way back to his bedroom, he stopped, leaned against the wall, and let out a breath. He had hoped Christine would be elated with the news, but so far, she was anything but. This was big news, so he knew she needed time to adjust, but he was terrified the situation wouldn't get better, that she'd always insist she didn't want a baby brother or sister (let alone two) and that she'd end up resenting the babies or him and Brennan for making this her reality.

* * *

><p>Brennan was lying on her side when Booth entered the room. "She's upset."<p>

Booth nodded, crawling into bed and wrapping his arms around her, her belly in between them. "I know, but she's a little kid. This is big news. She needs some time to get used to all this. We just need to get her involved. We can take her shopping with us when we go pick up things for the nursery and she can help us pick out names for the babies once we know what we're having. I'm sure she'd love it if we take her along on one of your doctor's visits. She's a lot like you, Bones. She needs to see things with her own eyes. Maybe once she sees the babies moving around on the screen, she'll be happier with the idea. I remember my mom got me one of those big brother books when she and my dad told me she was pregnant with Jared and it really helped me."

"We did spring this on her rather suddenly," Brennan agreed.

"We didn't have a choice, Bones."

She nodded. "I'm not saying there was another way."

He placed his hand on her stomach and brushed his thumb back and forth against the fabric of her oversized sleep sweatshirt. "She'll come around." He leaned over and pressed a kiss on the left side of her belly. "Don't worry, Blue, your big sister will love you." He let out a breath and kissed her on the right side. "You'll see, Bear, Christine will come around and you'll be sick of her before you're even born. She's a great kid and she loves to talk, so be ready. Hope you two are good listeners." He lifted his head and caught Brennan's lips with his, his hands still on her stomach.

"I hope when we tell our friends on Friday that it goes more smoothly than this. I'm nervous. Angela will likely me angry with me because I haven't told her yet and have been refusing to answer any of her questions regarding my sudden change in behavior."

Booth rolled his eyes. "Angela will understand."

"Angela tends to take things personally, so I would like to believe you, but I am not so sure she will. Perhaps eventually, but she will be angry at first." Brennan yawned. "I'm tired. I'd like to go to sleep now. Goodnight, Booth." She reached over and switched off her bedside lamp. "I wish I was as optimistic as you seem to be," she whispered.

"I've got the same worries you do, Bones." He snuggled as close to her as he could get and let his head rest on his pillow. Closing his eyes, he breathed out and ran his fingers up and down her arm, kneading her neck and shoulder when he reached the top.

"I've been so overwhelmed with the prospect of caring for two newborns that I haven't stopped, really stopped, to think about how Christine was going to feel about all of this. Perhaps if I had, I'd have been more prepared for her reaction tonight."

"We weren't going to tell her yet, so of course, we weren't ready, but hey, now she knows and she'll have more time to get used to the idea." He paused to get in a better position for sleep and then said, "She doesn't have school on Wednesday and we were going to have Max babysit, but maybe we should take her with us to your doctor's appointment. It'll be fun. Since we both took the morning off, we can go check out some things we might consider for the nursery. She can pick out a stuffed animal or something for the babies."

"I don't know, Booth."

"Think about it. We can ask her in the morning."

She nodded. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to ask her. If she seems okay with the idea, then I'd love to take her with us." She smiled and let her eyes fall shut.

"Goodnight, Bones."

"Goodnight, Booth." She rolled onto her other side, pushing her back against his chest and stomach.

He wrapped his arm around her, his hand splayed protectively over her baby bump. "I love you."

"Love you," she slurred, already half asleep.

He buried his face in her hair and kissed the back of her head before finding a more comfortable position to sleep in. "Love you too, Blue, Bear. Goodnight. You just focus on getting big and strong and let me worry about all the stuff out here."

She scooted back in her sleep and let out a breath.

He smiled and drifted off shortly afterwards.

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><p><strong><em>Any preference on what sex the babies are? <em>**

**_Hope you liked this chapter...more to come soon_**


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